Shoe support



June 12, 1934. A EPPLER 1,962,141

SHOE SUPPORT Filed Aug. ll, 1952 FISQ.

Patented June 12, :1934

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE SUPPORT Andrew Eppler, Lynn, M

Shoe Machinery Corpo ass., assignor to United ration, Paterson, N. J., a

9 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe supports, the term shoe being generallyused herein with reference to a shoe mounted on a last. The invention isherein illustrated as embodied in a `shoe support that is part of amachine for leveling the bottoms of shoes progressively, but it is to beunderstood that it is not thus limited in its applicability.

A feature of the invention consists in novel `means for supporting ashoe at the top of the forepart, so constructed as to adjust itselfreadily to the contour of each shoe and thus to insure that each shoewill be eiiectively supported against pressure applied on its bottomface without danger of damage to the upper through excessive pressure ofthe supporting means thereon in any location. For the purpose in Viewthe construction shown comprises a iorepart-supporting device or toerest movable about an axis extending laterally of the shoe and locatedsubstantially at its shoe-engaging face to minimize any tendency for thedevice to rub on the upper in its adjustment to the contour of the shoe,the device being supported on roller bearings to permit it to adjustitself readily to the shoe in response to pressure of the shoe thereon.Combined with this fo-repart-supporting device, in the constructionherein shown, is a heel-end support comprising a member so mounted as toadjust itself readily to the top face of the cone of the last to assistin insuring against breakage of the last when heavy pressure is appliedon the shoe bottom; but it is to be understood that in its more generalaspects the invention is not limited to this particular combination.

The novel features of the invention will now be more particularlydescribed by reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a po-rtion of a machine in whichthe invention is embodied, parts being broken away to illustrate theconstruction more clearly;

ine II--II of Fig.

Fig. 2 is a section on the l 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

The invention is herein illustrated as applied fto a leveling machine ofa well-known type, characteristic features of which are illustrated anddescribed in various prior United States Letters Patent, includingLetters Patent No. 1,667,761,

granted on May 1, 1928 upon an application of E. Winkley and H. A.Davenport. Such machines include in the port or jack comprisi post 12carrying me last are supported io formed by a roll 13 sure on the soleand ir organization a shoe supng a heel post l0 and a toe ans wherebythe shoe and r the leveling operation perthat applies downward presactsprogressively along the shoe ybottom as the jack is swung in directionslengthwise of the shoe. The heel post 10 carries a spindle 14 whichenters the spindle hole in the n heel end of the last, the spindle beingmounted on a block 16 pivoted at 18 on an upward extension of the heelpost to swing in directions lengthwise of the shoe. The block 16 isconnected by a link 20 to mechanism (not shown) ,Y l whereby the blockand spindle may be swung to press the toe end of the shoe firmly downupon toe-supporting means on the toe post l2, as more fully disclosed inLetters Patent No. 1,719,158, granted on July 2, 1929 upon anapplication of E. E. Winkley and H. A. Davenport. This toesupportingmeans is in many respects similar to the disclosure of Letters PatentNo. 1,171,383, granted on February 8, 1916 upon an application of W. C.Baxter, and comprises a member 22 adjustable on arcuate guideways on thetoe post 12 by means of a worm 24, this member having mounted thereon ablock 26 adjustable upwardly or downwardly by means of a wedge 28.Supported on the block 26 is a toe-supporting device or toe rest 30comprising a rubber pad 32 hollowed 85 out to receive the toe of theshoe and a holder 34 on which the pad is mounted.

For purposes of this invention the toe rest 30 in the construction shownis so mounted on the block 26 as to permit it to adjust itself to each90 shoe about an axis extending laterally of the shoe and locatedsubstantially at the shoe-engaging face of the pad 32. To this end, theblock 26 has an upper face 36 curved about such an axis to provide anarcuate guideway, and the holder 34 has alsimilarly curved lower face 38which rests upon roller bearings supported on the face 36. The rollerbearings comprise rolls 40 `mounted at theirends in curved plates 42whichhold 4 them in assembled relation and move with them along'theguideway-B. The holder 34 has laterally projecting anges 44 which areoverlapped by flanges formed on retaining plates 46 that are fastened tothe block 26 By this means the toe H rest 30 is held in place on theroller bearings 1651 while permitted to turn freely about an axislocated substantially at the upper-engaging face of the pad 32 to adjustitself to each shoe without any substantial displacement of itsupper-engaging face lengthwise of the shoe and thereforeulo' without anysubstantial rubbing action on the upper. An effective support is thusprovided for the toe end of the shoe over an extended area withoutdanger of excessive pressure on the upper in any location, the pressurebeing substantially uniform on all portions of the upper engaged by thepad 32. To limit the movement of the toe rest in one direction whenthere is no shoe in the machine there is provided on one of the plates46 a screw 48 the inner end of which is arranged to engage a shoulder 50on one of the flanges 44.

Further to assist in supporting the shoe and last iirmly againstpressure applied on the bottom of the shoe, there is mounted on theblock 16 for engagement with the top face of the cone of the last aplate 52 provided at its opposite sides with dov/nturned flanges 54having arcuate lower edges supported on similarly curved shoulders ofthe block 16, the plate being provided with an opening 56 considerablylarger than the spindle 14 and through which the spindle extends. rIheplate 52 is accordingly free to tip about an axis extending laterally ofthe shoe to adjust itself to the top face of each last and thus toprovide a firm support for the last both forwardly and rearwardly of thespindle, this axis, as shown, being located substantially at the top ofthe cone of the last. To retain the plate 52 in proper position itsiianges 54 are provided with pins 58 which extend into curved slots 60in portions of the block 16 that are adjacent to the iianges.

While there are herein disclosed, as above described, supporting devicesthat are self adjusting at both the toe and heel ends of the last andshoe, it will be understood, as hereinbefore suggested, that theinvention is not limited to such devices in combination; nor is itlimited to a forepart-supporting device movable about an axis locatedprecisely as described. It is also to be understood that the inventionis generally applicable to machines for performing various operations onshoes.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States isz- 1. In a shoe support,a device for supporting a shoe at the top of the forepart, and curvedguiding means on which said device is mounted for adjustment to eachshoe about an axis extending laterally of the shoe in response topressure of the shoe thereon, said axis being located in such proximityto the shoe-engaging face of the device as to avoid any substantialrubbing action of the device on the shoe in its adjusting movement.

2. In a shoe support, a device for supporting a shoe at the top of theforepart, and bearing means supporting said device for self-adjustmentto each shoe about an axis extending laterally of the shoe and locatedsubstantially at its shoeengaging face.

3. In a shoe support, a device for supporting a shoe at the top of theforepart, said device comprising a shoe-engaging pad and a holder forsaid pad, and bearing means supporting said holder for self-adjustmentto each shoe about an axis extending laterally of the shoe and locatedsubstantially at the shoe-engaging face of the pad.

4. In a shoe support, a device for supporting a shoe at the top of theforepart, said device being movable about an axis extending laterally ofthe shoe and located substantially at its shoe-engaging face, androtatable bearing members supporting the device and relatively to whichit is movable about said axis in response to pressure of the shoethereon to permit the device to adjust itself to the shoe.

5. In a shoe support, a device for supporting a shoe at the top of theforepart, said device comprising a shoe-engaging pad and a holder forsaid pad movable about an axis extending laterally of the shoe and solocated as to avoid any substantial rubbing action of the pad on theshoe by movement of the holder, and rotatable bearing members supportingsaid holder and relatively to which it is movable about said axis inresponse to pressure of the shoe on the pad to permit the device toadust itself to the shoe.

6. In a shoe support, a device for supporting a shoe at the top of theforepart, a member supporting said device and provided with an arcuateguideway curved about an axis extending laterally of the shoe, androller bearings on said guideway on which the device is mounted formovement about said axis in response to pressure of the shoe thereon.

7. In a shoe support, a device for supporting a shoe at the top of theforepart, said device comprising a shoe-engaging pad and a holder forsaid pad having a lower face curved about an axis extending laterally ofthe shoe and located substantially at the shoe-engaging face of the pad,a member having a similarly curved upper face for supporting saidholder, and roller bearings between said faces to facilitate movement ofthe device about its axis in response to pressure of the shoe thereon.

8. In a shoe support, a device for supporting a shoe at the top of theforepart, rotatable bearing members supporting said device for movementabout an axis extending laterally of the shoe in response to pressure ofthe shoe thereon to permit the device to adjust itself to the shoe, thedevice being provided with flanges at its opposite sides, and means forengaging said iianges to retain the device on the bearing members.

9. In a shoe support, means for supporting a shoe and last both at theforepart and at the heel end, said supporting means comprising devicesarranged respectively to engage the shoe at the top of the forepartl andto engage the top of the cone of the last and each mounted for movementabout an axis extending laterally o the shoe in response to pressure ofthe shoe or last thereon to adjust itself to the contour of the shoe orlast, the axes of movement of said devices being located substantiallyat the top of the forepart of the shoe and at the top of the cone of thelast respectively.

ANDREW EPPLER.

